I really love today's absolutely lovely southern wedding for two reasons. 1) The entire thing cost under $12,000 (with 130 guests!), and 2) Thanks to Ashley Michelle Photography, you can actually see how the bride pulled inspiration from other weddings (and wedding blogs, perhaps? ;), created some beautiful things and saved money doing it! My hope is that other brides will see Talia and Dustin's wedding today and think, "Wow! I can pull this off, too!" Because I think that oftentimes (and I know that I'm guilty of it, too), all we see are these over-the-top gorgeous, totally unreal weddings that just seem impossible to live up to. As you'll soon see, this wedding is chalk-full of beautiful ideas, tasteful accents and sweet southern charm.

This past April, Talia and Dustin were married at the beautiful St. John Neumann Catholic Church near Knoxville, Tennessee. Talia's bridesmaids all selected their own mismatched bridesmaids dresses in soft shades of pink and beige; while the groomsmen all wore charcoal grey suits with laced up black Chucks. As for the flowers, Talia let Lisa Foster Floral Design Studio take the lead on designing Talia's dream bouquet filled with pink peonies and other light, "airy" flowers in white.

Each of Talia and Dustin's 130 guests left the church ceremony for an early evening reception at Talia's childhood home, where they had a large tent set up out on the grass. All of the tables were covered in lace linens and mismatched cloth napkins with a simple centerpiece of tall ivory pillar candles. The dance floor was lit by the dozens of hanging mason jars with votive candles that surrounded it. Instead of a traditional wedding cake, the bride and groom opted for a full dessert bar, with one small cake and various pies and cookies. Each dessert was dedicated to a loved one who had passed away, the bride's favorite personal detail from the day. Instead of a traditional guest book, guests signed and wrote advice for the happy couple on wooden Jenga pieces. Finally, guests left at the end of the evening with small, charming jars of homemade jam, each wrapped with a pretty floral cloth that matched the table linens.

I do not consider $12,000 for a one day event to be inexpensive. Who has that kind of money laying unused in a bank account? Brides-to-be, consider what you could do for under $1,000. You will be just as married and perhaps have some money for things you need. Change your expectations of what a wedding is. To live happily ever after, avoid going in debt!

Hi Alyssa! I checked with the bride about your question, and she said that she purchased the bridal sash from the same bridal salon where she purchased her dress. She didn't have a brand/designer name for me, but she purchased it from Lowes Bridal in Tennessee.